Italian Doctor, Sleigh-Bell Bride (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 6)

‘You’d be doing me a favour. If the boys are playing, I can write my Christmas cards. They’ve been glaring at me from inside their packaging for the past two weeks.’

Liv smiled. ‘All right. Thanks so much.’ It would save her having to beg yet another favour, this time from the childminder.

‘It’s the least I can do for Super-Nurse. Our cool, hard-to-please consultant is sending shivers of terror throughout the department but apparently you make the grade.’ Anna’s smile was wicked. ‘He strode up to me this morning and said in his most commanding voice, “When I am in Resus, I want Leev with me.” The way he says your name is incredibly sexy.’

Liv tried to ignore the bump of her heart. ‘You need to work on your Italian accent. That was a terrible imitation.’

‘What exactly did you do to him in Resus to make him love you so much? I really want to know. I’m trying not to be offended by the fact he clearly thinks the rest of us are rubbish.’

‘We just worked well together.’

Anna gave a slow smile. ‘Obviously you make a lovely couple. Have you invited him to the Snowflake Ball yet?’

‘No, I haven’t invited him to the Snowflake Ball, because I’m not going.’

‘You should invite him. At least then you’ll have something to tell your grandchildren.’ Anna glanced over her shoulder to check they were alone and then whipped a piece of paper out of her pocket. ‘One of the nurses in fracture clinic looked Sexy Stefano up on the internet and came across an interview with his ex—some gorgeous blonde Italian actress.’ She unfolded the paper. ‘Listen to this—“One of the drawbacks of Italian men is that they’re extremely macho and dominating.”’ Anna glanced up. ‘Is that a drawback? I’d give anything for David to ignore the fact that I’m loading the dishwasher and just throw me down onto the sofa for a bit of wild sex.’

‘Anna, for goodness’ sake—’

‘You haven’t heard anything yet.’ Anna cleared her throat. ‘“Stefano was so hot tempered and passionate that our entire relationship sometimes felt like one long blazing series of rows and reconciliation.”’

Unsettled by the conve

rsation, Liv concentrated on putting the dressings away. ‘That doesn’t sound very relaxing. I’m not surprised they broke up.’

‘Hold on, I’m just coming to the best bit—“Maybe it’s because he’s a doctor, but he knew exactly what to do to my body. He was so skilled in bed and so demanding that for six months I was too tired to get up in the morning. My career almost fell apart. Two words come to mind when I think of Stefano and they are sex and stamina.” All right, now I’m jealous.’ Anna scrunched the paper up and threw it in the bin in disgust. ‘I can’t remember the last time I was kept awake by a man’s ravenous libido.’

‘This is too much information.’ Liv covered her ears. ‘I really like your husband.’

‘I like him too, and it’s as much my fault as his. Life is so exhausting that when I see my bed I just want to sleep in it, not set fire to the sheets. I wish I hadn’t read that article. I was relatively happy with my life until I realised that I could be having hot sex all night with a luscious trauma surgeon who knows exactly what to do with my body. I mean, can you imagine waking up in the morning next to Stefano Lucarelli?’

‘No, I can’t imagine it because it would be too terrible for words.’ Liv shuddered. ‘It would be daylight and I would never have the confidence to show my body to anyone in daylight. He’d probably be sick.’

Anna gaped at her. ‘You have absolutely no idea how lovely you are.’

‘Oh yes.’ Liv gave a mocking a smile. ‘So lovely that Jack could barely drag himself away from me to sleep with other women.’

‘Jack was just a—’ Anna used a word that made Liv blink.

‘I can’t believe you just said that. Wash your mouth out.’

‘I just hate the way he’s made you feel about yourself,’ Anna said simply. ‘Because of him, you have no self-confidence. Just do me a favour—try smouldering at Stefano and see what happens.’

‘He’d probably throw a bucket of water over me and I wouldn’t blame him.’

‘He’s seriously rich, gorgeous and single. If you’re not even prepared to flirt with him then you need therapy,’ Anna said and Liv smiled.

‘Anna, darling, one of us definitely needs therapy, but I don’t think it’s me.’

‘Are you telling me that you can look him in the eye and not think of sex?’

‘Stop talking about sex!’ The words came out louder than she’d intended and Liv slammed a hand over her mouth and giggled in disbelief. ‘For crying out loud, Anna, what is the matter with you? Go to lunch, or go and have a cold shower or—something.’

‘“Or something” sounds good but unfortunately I’ll have to settle for lunch.’ Anna handed her the keys to the drug cupboard. ‘You’re in charge. Hire and fire at will. Try not to get up to anything while I’m gone.’ She walked briskly out of the room and Liv pinned the keys in her pocket with hands that weren’t quite steady.

All this talk of sex was starting to unsettle her.

Her eyes slid to the article in the bin.